Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow - 16th Annual - Renaissance Faire at ...
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16th Annual
Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow
Welcome, Goode Merchant!
Our season is the same as always: the first three weekends of September, including Labor
Day. This year, those dates are as follows:
• September 4-6, 2021
• September 11-12, 2021
• September 18-19, 2021
We’re giving returning merchants first crack at their previous booths, though now is the
time to contemplate moving to a different location if you have outgrown your space, prefer
a different exposure, and so on.
Here’s the best news of all: If you are a returning full time merchant from 2020 (as in, a
merchant who vended with us all three weekends last year), your vendor fee goes down by
25%! As Rick Flatt stated at last year’s merchant meeting, he is invested in making the
Sleepy Hollow Renaissance Faire the best it can possibly be—and he can’t do that without
YOU as his merchants. To that end he has created the Merchant Loyalty Program which
reduces your fees over the next four years in order to give you one free. When you support
us, we support you. For some of you this is the free year!
If you’re a merchant new to the “16th Annual Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow,” we’ll find a
spot that suits your needs. We’ll charge you the regular vendor fee, which is very
reasonable and will be even better when you return next year. Please make notations on
your vendor form if you have specific requests. Ideally, you’ll want to vend all three
weekends, but if you’re committed elsewhere, let us know and we’ll do our best to
accommodate you.
New Fees, Old Fees
For 2021, available spaces are reserved on a first-come basis, so we encourage you to send
in your vendor fee as soon as possible. Fees include electric, water, and reasonable garbage.
Note: A substantial discount is given for vending all three weekends. New merchant fees
are the same as they were last year, while returning merchant fees are 25% less than they
were last year! (Note: This discount is only applicable to those merchants who vended all
three weekends of the 2020 Sleepy Hollow Renaissance Faire!(or in this years case 2019 if
you were unable to vend in 2020 due to COVID) Also, if you are a returning merchant and
you skip this year, you will not get this reduction in 2022. We want to encourage a long-
term partnership.)
For a complete list of fees and discounts please see vendor application.To reserve your space, you may either pre-pay the entire vendor fee by May 1, 2021, or you
can make a deposit by May 1, with the remainder due June 15, 2021. Please note: This
deposit is not refundable. A deposit is required for every weekend you intend to vend.
Calculate your fee from above based on whether you are a new or returning merchant.
Your deposit is 1/2 of your vendor/rental fee again due May 1. If shops are not paid in full
by June 15 they may be reassigned.
Up the Quality!
We here at the “16th Annual Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow” are committed to producing
a wonderful experience for both faire-goer and merchant alike. Part of the plan to grow our
festival is based on increasing the artistic quality of the merchandise found here. We want
“Sleepy Hollow” to be synonymous with the best Renaissance merchandise available
anywhere! So no reselling Dollar Tree (or similar) merchandise.
Strive to be the merchant who fills a particular niche with your own handmade wares!
Make beautiful goods of strong, natural materials; avoid plastics, please. While there isn’t
currently a jury process for the “16th Annual Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow,” we do
reserve the right to reject potential vendors if their product line is deemed sub-par,
pornographic, drug paraphernalia, etc. No Dollar Tree or (like) merchandise will be
allowed.
Concentrate on Signage and Shop Presence
Want to get patrons to enter your shop! Start with an eye catching home made sign. The
best shoppes feature handmade or painted signs. Not all of us are artists, but all of us do
know someone crafty and artistic who could make some cool signs for our shops! Now is
the time to start making something attractive and appropriate for your booth!
Lastly, take the time to dress up your vending space to make it as attractive as possible.
We are reducing your fees so you can use the money on your space as well as putting a
little more jingle in your pocket. For those of you who have electric (especially if you’re in a
dark booth), discreet lighting is permissible, though the key is discreet. Soft tunes of a
Celtic or Renaissance theme may be played in the background unless you’re near one of the
stages. And potpourri or incense may aid your sales. Above all, make it magical!
Camper Camaraderie!
We want to encourage the development of a strong Faire community. One of the best ways
to do that is to gather after hours—so we offer primitive overnight camping for free and
camping with an electric hook-up for a small charge. We have spots for RV trailers as well as
tents. There are also showers available to merchants and entertainers.The Bottom Line
To create an enchanting Renaissance ambience for your shop, please remember the
following:
• Make a hand-painted banner or wooden sign for your shop.
• Decorate your booth or tent or stand. Make it festive! Avoid plastics, hide shiny
chrome, and so on. Add banners, ribbons, and flowers. Use wooden shelves; if you
must use plastic, try your best to disguise them somehow.
• Hide anything modern (coolers, plastic boxes, etc) beneath fabric or inside wooden
boxes. Disguise your garbage and remove it every day.
• Use a mug, horn, or tankard for your beverages. Try not to eat right in front of your
patrons, if possible.
• Supervise your children and your pets. Note: All dogs must have a current rabies tag.
(Optional for children!)
• Everyone who works at your booth or is part of your operation (including children
age 5 and older) must be dressed in period attire and wear a vendor wrist band.
• Smoking is strictly forbidden inside booths and in any public space accessible or
visible by patrons.
• Likewise, avoid cell phone use in public spaces—it’s unprofessional. No one wants
to see a pirate constantly checking his or her phone.
• Show courtesy to the Queen—bow or curtsy; if male, please remove your hat. This
may seem old-fashioned, but it adds to the ambience of the faire.
And Finally . . .
We strive every year to make this faire even better than the year before and truly appreciate
your efforts to make your space the best it can be and helping us promote the faire.
Mary Flatt, Merchant Coordinator
515.321.4053 ✥ mary@sleepyhollowsportspark.com
Please keep in mind the closer we get to the faire the busier I am, so please contact me with
questions ahead of time. Haily will again be your go to person during faire set up.
TWO IMPORTANT NOTES
1) Iowa Sales Tax ID Number. The State of Iowa now requires every vendor selling at an Iowa event to have
a permanent sales tax ID number; temporary permits are no longer granted. You need this number to sell in
Iowa, regardless of whether you live in Iowa or in another state.
Go to: https://tax.iowa.gov/iowa-sales-and-use-tax-guide. It’s free and doesn’t take long and is good for
any event you sell at in Iowa. You can start selling immediately; you don’t need to wait for the permit to
arrive.
2) Liability Insurance. If you sell weapons or anything of a similar nature or have an activity involving
weapons or the possibility of a patron getting hurt, we require you to have your own liability insurance. And
in this day and age of litigation, we also strongly encourage every vendor to have liability insurance, just to
be on the safe side.
Contact your car, home, or rental insurance agent for leads and quotes; you may get a discounted rate.
Otherwise, Sleepy Hollow can recommend Mark DuBay of Professional Solutions Insurance Services, at
515.710.4355 or 515.313.4502. Other options include specialtyinsuranceagency.com and
reenactorsinsurance.com.Merchant Loyalty Program
You help us we help you!
We want our faire to be unique in the central Iowa area for all our
benefits. We understand that if we are asking you to agree to the
proximity clause we need to be fair and make it financially advantageous
to you. Also, we want to acknowledge your contribution to the faire and
show our appreciation.
Program:
In return for your loyalty, agreeing to not participate in any other Renaissance Style
Events within an 80 mile radius of Des Moines, IA for a calendar year. The Renaissance
Faire at Sleepy Hollow agrees to reduce your vendor fee by 25% per year for 4 years until
you have a free year. This applies to full time vendors only without a lapse in years. (with
the exception of 2020) When your fee becomes $0, you will simply be required to send a
deposit which will be refunded following the event if you are deemed to be a merchant in
good standing, and we assume you all will be.
Merchant in “Good Standing” basically means you have followed the rules and helped
promote the fair when possible.
Rules:
1. Deposit and fees paid on time.
2. All personnel including children associated with the shoppe are properly wearing a
wristband and have a parking pass properly displayed in their car.
3. Kept product line(s) to what has been agreed upon and not brought in any Dollar
Tree or similar items.
4. Provided proper signage for your building and disguised inappropriate items such as
pop-up tents.
5. Have done whatever is requested (and possible) to help promote the faire including
social media, tv interviews (if requested by visiting stations), participated in merchant
parades and opening gate etc. and put up posters in hometown. (local Iowa)
This is a team effort and anything that helps bring more patrons to the faire is good for both you
and us.16th Annual
Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow
Festival Park at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park
4051 Dean Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50317
Merchant Vendor Application
I/we _________________________________________________, representing
________________________________________ (name of shop), request acceptance into the “15th Annual
Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow.” I agree to the following:
• Dress in Renaissance attire (roughly the 14th–18th century) and design my space accordingly.
• Not smoke or use cell phones inside my shop during festival hours. (Exception being to use cell phone for
running credit-card purchases.)
• Have my shop/tent/stand fully up and running by opening gate ceremony (9:45AM) and not close until
official day ending (6:00PM).
• Have my vehicle off of festival grounds by 9:15AM and not return with it before 6:15PM.
I will vend the following dates:
___ All three weekends (discount applies)
___ Weekend One (Sept. 4-6, 2021)
___ Weekend Two (September 11-12, 2021)
___ Weekend Three (September 18-19, 2021)
Please check the space in which you want to vend:
___ I am a returning vendor and would like the same building I had last year
___ I want a large corner booth in a building (If available)
___ I want a medium booth in a building (if available)
___ I have my own period tent (dimensions: ________________)
___ I have a cart or street stand
Note: ALL MERCHANT VENDOR SPACE RENTALS INCLUDE 2 VENDOR BANDS AND PARKING
PASSES. ADDITIONAL VENDOR BANDS MAY BE PURCHASED FOR $10 EACH PER WEEKEND OR $16
FOR ALL 3 WEEKENDS TO A MAX OF 2 PER WEEKEND. This includes children.
I sell the following products (check all that apply):
___ Clothing/costumes ___ Leather goods ___ Pirate goods
___ Childrens wares ___ Wood items ___ Fairy wares
___ Jewelry ___ Housewares ___ Historically accurate items
___ Weapons ___ Glass items ___ Food/edibles
___ Scented items ___ Art prints or books ___ Art objects
___ Ceramics ___ Furniture ___ Other ___________________
Please check all that apply:
___ All of my wares are handmade ___ All of my wares are commercially produced
___ Some of my wares are handmade
Please check one of the following:
___ I am a new merchant
___ I am a returning merchant from 2020___, 2019___, 2018____, 2017___ Sleepy Hollow Renaissance Faire
Camping:
____I will be primitive camping(no charge)
____I will rent a camp site with electrical hook ups $10 per night x ____________ nights.New Merchant Fee 9/4-6 9/12-13 9/19-20 All Three!
Cart or street stand $75 $50 $50 $150 ($175)
Any tent $150 $100 $100 $300 ($350)
Medium booth $200 $150 $150 $400 ($500)
Large corner booth $350 $275 $275 $800 ($900)
Returning Merchant Fees (Please note: only full time vendors will be discounted)
Size of Space Returning Returning Returning Returning
2020 2019/2020 2018/2019/2020 2017/2018/2019/2020
Refundable Deposit only
Cart $113 $75 $30 $50
Tent $225 $150 $75 $100
Medium Booth or Building $300 $200 $100 $100
Large Booth or Building $600 $400 $200 $100
Please note: Vendors having a significant number of boxes delivered to Sleepy Hollow or dumping a large
amount of garbage into the Sleepy Hollow dumpsters will be charged an additional garbage fee unless you
recycle your own boxes by taking them home or to a recycling facility.
Deposit Due by May 1 9/4-6 9/11-12 9/18-19 All Three! June 15, 2021
Cart, tent, or Guild Hall 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3
Medium or large booth 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2
Name(s) ______________________________________________
Business Name(s) ______________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________
Phone ______________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________
Facebook ______________________________________________
Website ______________________________________________
Product Lines ______________________________________________________________________
Sales Tax Id # ______________________________________________
Liability Insurance Carrier ____________________________________ Policy Limit__________________
Proximity Clause: I(we) agree to NOT vend at another renaissance/medieval event during the
same calendar year as contracted, within a 80 mile radius of Des Moines, Iowa.
Everyone associated with our business will be wearing a vendor band and displaying a parking pass.
Signed: __________________________________ Dated: _______________________
NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE AN IOWA SALES TAX ID NUMBER TO VEND AT THIS EVENT. LIABILITY
INSURANCE IS ALSO STRONGLY ENCOURAGED (required for weapons vendors)
Deadline for applying is May 1, 2021.
Please fill out your merchant application form and mail to the following:
Sleepy Hollow Sports Park / 4051 Dean Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50317
I am enclosing a check or money order in the amount of:__________________________
to include: Camping for ____nights, Deposit $__________, Full vendor fee $_________
Payment may be made by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover (additional 3% processing fee applies).
Call 515.321.4053 and ask for Mary Flatt.You can also read
